Process of producing gas and power.



No. 890,475. I PATENTED JUNE 9, 1908. G. J. WEBER.

PRUGESS 0F PRODUCING GAS AND' POWER.

APrLmATIoN FILED Mums, 190s. EBNBWBD 0012s. 1907.

' GEORGEv J. wnBERyor KANsas'oI'rY, Missen-nn f mensa on rnonucmo .Gas powa-n'.

gno. 890,475. f

Speeication of Lette1n-Patent.

ratenteajune e.

v Anuman aus apnias, 'i'a, serai' N9. man. mmm compass, iaoi.4 serai no. asx-gaas.

. To all 'whom it may concerns. I'

' vProducing Gas and ne it known that-1, ammi J.l wenn, a citizen of the UnitedStates .of America, re- Siding .in Kansas Cityfinthe county of .Jackson and State of Mlssouri,` have inventada connection with a reducer to produce gas which. is 'exploded 1n the-gas engine to pro# l ess is carried into effect.

. through urning vduce power.

My invention has' for itsv object the conservation of heat "producedin the manufacturc of the gas and from the explosions of the gas in the e ine.

-M ventlon broadly stated consists in emp oyin a: gas engine to suck air and steam uel, thereby producing combustible gas, employing the 'gas prior to washing, and while it retains a large amount of heat to'generate steam which 1s used for makin the gas, then Washing the gas and explo mg the gas in the engine, wherebyT power is produced` by which the process 1s continued.

Other novell features vare hereinafter fully described'and claimed.

-In the accompan ing drawings illustrative ofmy invention, i'gure 1 is aview, partly in elevation and partly in vertical sectlon, of anapparatus by means of which my new roc- Fig. 2 is a orizontal sectional View. taken`on the dotted line ab of Fig.,1. i ..3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view'o the check valve between the engine and the scrubbing chamber.

Similar characters of reference indicate similar parts.

The generating chamber 1 comprises a vertical tubular shell lined inside above theA transverse lgrate 3 with a fire brick lining 2. 4 denotes t e fuel restin upon the grate. A

. feed opening 5 is provi ed in the top of the A e'vo site-sidesfof the 'Pe p pe below thegggge 3 are two doors 9V chamber 1 throu `h which ashes may be removed. In each oor is rovided an air .inlet ha a closure 10. elow the gate 3 is provi edA also ranother air inlet 11 through which air may be. driven into the chamber 1 by means of a blower 1.2. A'slid'able door 13 is mount ed .on the outside of the chamber lfor closing the inlet 11. A vertical'boiler 14,- adjacent to the chamber 1,` is provided with `two transverse partitions 15, which form between them a steam-,space through which extend one or more vvertical tubes 16, which receive gaseous products from combustion chamber '1 Aand serve to generate steam fromwater held in the steam space in the boiler. The upper end of a pipe 17 is connected with the said steam space at a point above the water level, and extendsv therefrom. into the combustion chamber, lthence downward through' the re brick to' a point below the grate 3 where the steam is discharged.' The boiler 14 below the lowerpartition 15 is provided with a'gas inlet 18 connecting with the gasV outlet 19, which extends throu h thebrick lining andthe wall of the cham er 1 above the grate 3. l

In the inlet 18 of the boiler 14is pivtally mounted an inwardly swmgin ap. valve 20 which prevents back fiow of t e gas throug pass. the inlet 18 and also prevents bal/IrlV firing into the combustion chamber 1 from the engine. The valve 20 further serves as a baffle late to deflect downward to the'bo't-A tom o the boiler sediment or brands entering through the inlet 18. An outlet forjthe es-` cape of gas iprovided in the boiler1'4 above the upper pa ition 15. This outlet, denoted by 21, is tol ermit the escape ofgas when starting the e in the enerating chamber or when it is desired to s ut down the engine. A rotary valve 22 normally closes the outlet 21'. i In the boiler 14 below the valve 20` is provided a v sediment outlet 23 normally' closedby a rotary hollow valve 24', one side' of which is provided with a hole 25 adapted to register'. with the outlet 23, and adapted, when in position shown in Fig. 1 to receive s'ediment'rom the boiler 1 4. By rotatin the 'valvefhalf around, the sediment' collecte therein may be dropped out of the boiler without permitting gas to escape.

' 26 indicatesla washing and cooling cham--A 'ios ber adapted to contain water. Water is admitted through an opening- 27 in the top of the chamber,"a rotary valve 28, normally clos' said opening. In the lower end of cham er 26 is provided an outlet 29 in which is rotatably mounted a rotary valve 30, similar in commotion and operation to valve 24 and provided with a side opening '31 adapted to register with the outlet opening 29 so as to receive sediment therethrou h. vB rotating the valve 30 half around, t le sedlment ma be dro ped out without permitting escape o water om the chamber 26.

32 denotes a pipe the upper end of which connects with t e boiler 14 above the upper partition 15, the lower end of the pipe ext e level of the water held'herein.

tending into the chamber 26 below 33 is the scrubbing chamber provided with means for holding 1n the bottom thereof a in chamber 33 above the coke, and asV resting u on it a quantity of shavin 39. A vesse 40 disposed lower than cham er 33 and provided with an open top is adapted to contain water. A pipe 41 connected at its upper end with the chamber 33 extends into the ves-` sel 40 below the level of the water therein. This pipe serves to keep the water in cham- 'ber 33 at a given height, and with the water in vessel'40 serves as a water seal to prevent the escape of gas from chamber'33. Water for spraying the shavings and coke in chamber 33 is supplied through an inlet 42 in the top of chamber 33, the inletbeingA normally closed by a rotary valve 43. In t e cylinder 44 of an ordinary gas engine is mounted the piston v45. At one end of the cylinder is the explosion chamber 46. A valve 47 normally closes the opening connecting the explosion chamber 46 with the mixing chamber. 48 provided with an air inlet 49. A conductor 50 connects the mixing chamber with the upper end of the scrubbing chamber 33. In the said l conductor and fornung a part thereof is a check valve, shown in sectionm Fig. 3, comprising a cas' 51 in which is pivotally mounted a flap va ve 51, which opens toward the mixin chamber. This valve prevents back inn from the engine through conductor 50. In t e conductor 50 is inserted also a throttle valve 52 of ordinary construction. By means of this valve the gas may be shut ol. Between the throttle valve 52 and the mixing chamber, the conductor 50 is provided with a l try cock 53, of ordinaryv construction, the function of which is to enable the operator to determine whenv combustible gas 1s passing through the conductor 50.

The cylinder 44 is provided with the ordinary water jacket Vthe 'numeral 54 indicating the water space thereof. 'A pipe 55 isconnected at its lower end to the said space and at' its upper end with the steam space provided in a vertical boiler 56, the said steam space being formed by providing two transverse partitions 57 inthe boiler. The function o the pipe 55 is to supply hot water to the boiler 56.' Through the partitions 57 'extend one or more vertical tubes 58 which serve to convey exhaust gas from the engine cylinder adjacent to the water in the steam boilers 14- and 56 are connected a ove the water level of each' boilerl by a horizontal ipe 59 which serves'to convey steam from oiler 56'to the combustion chamber through boiler 14 andpipe 1.7. To the boiler 56ebelow the lower partition, 57 is connected the connects with achamber `61, which is connected ,with the exhaust-chamber 62 by an connectingthe cylinder 44 with the ex aust and ex losion chambers. i tion of the charge 1n the explosoncham r 46 may be obtained in any of the .well known wa s.

66 and 67 denote twoY electrodes i'n tbe explosion chamber between which an electric e explosion of the y charge; The proportionin of the movement of the valves 47 andv 63 an the passing of the spark between' elecpartition 57 with an outlet for the exhaust as passing through the tubes 58. This ou tet is indicated by 68.

69 denotes a cock in the'pipe 55 connected shown, by which the 'boiler 56 is supplied with water. 71 indicates another pipe connectinqr the lower side ofthe water jacket with the said water supply tank.

72 denotes a removable closure for an opening in the lower end of the side of the c amber 33 designed for the removal'of dirt from the chamber 33. Between the two ends of the pipes 32 and 34, the side wall of the chamber 26 isfprovided with a try cock 73 by means of which it may be determined when the water in the chamber is at the proper level.

lIn operating my invention, water is first space of boiler. 56. The-steam s laces of,

ope g normally closedV by an exhaust valve 63. v -V i 64 and 65 denoterespectively the orts trodes 66 and 67 maybe controlled by the running of the engine in the ordinary man`4 ner. The boiler 56 is provided above the upper by a pipe 70 with the water supply tank, not v upper end ofl a pipe 60 the lower end of which spark may be caused to pass for yproducing t horizontal planes in-which are located the 'i supplied to the boilers 14.and 56, and chambers 26 and 33, after which the valve 22 and door 13 are opened, lthe other valves and doors. be' closed, exceptin closure. 6 which is remove for inserting the fg-uel into the generating chamber. The charcoal 4 is then ig' nited, closure 6 replaced, and the blower 12 started. The air passn through the charcoal continues thecomu gaseous products passinginto the boiler 14 through the outlet 19 and inlet 18 past the flap valve 20, thence through the tubes 16 t0 an through the outlet 21. When the generating chamber has become sufficiently eated and steam formed in the steam space in boiler 14 the valve` 22 is closed. The

steam generated in the boiler 14 passes by pipe 17 -intothe lower end of generatingP chamber 1' and uniting'with the incoming air assists 1n'.the combustion of the charcoal, thus formin products of combustion which pass from t e generating chamber into and through boiler`14 and into the ip: 32 from which the products pass into an t ough the water in'chamber 26 where the gaseous products are washed and cooled. The cooled gases .then pass4 by pipe 34 into and through the water 1n the lower end of: chamber 33 where they are further washed and cooled, passing then through partitions 36`and 38, coke 37, and shavings 39 by means ofwhich the gasleous roducts are thoroughlyf'scrubbed an busti le gas. rlhe coke and shavings are kept moistened by water admitted through the inlet 42. The throttle valve 521then being opened, the gas will pass throu h` con ductor 50, valve casing 51, past V't e-ap valve 51, through throttle valve 52 into the mixing chamber 48. B oV Athe try cock 53 and applyin a "gas issuing therefrom, it can y the gas is combustible. When'thegas will ignite, it is ready to be used in Aruiming the engine. The door 13 is then closed, the blower l2 stopped and the closure 10 opened to admit air lnto the generating'chamber. The engine is then started manually and `caused to draw a charge of mixed as and air from the mixing chamber past va ve 47 into the explosion chamber 46 where .the char e is exploded by a spark assing between tiie electrodes 66 and 67. 'Fhe exploded charge then lpasses by port into the cylinder 44 where the charge is vused to actuate the reci rocation of the piston 45, thus converting t ie gaseous products into mechanical energy.

he piston in moving in the proper direction causes a partial vacuum to be formed in the c linder 44, explosion chambers 46, mixing chamber 48, conductor 5l), chamber 33, chamber 26, and boiler 14V and connectingr pipes, thus causing air to be drawn into the generating chamber, and the gaseous'prodstiolr thereof theV ur ed and are in the formfofcom-r' determinedwhen ucts to pass from the combustion chamber into the engine cylinder where they are converted into mechanical energy, a portion of which is used, as described, for continuing the process.

As the exhaust gases pass from the engine cylinder 44 through port 64, exhaust chambers 61 and 62, pipe 60, and tubes 58, the

`water inthe steam space in boiler 56 becomes generated into steam which passes by means of pipe 59, boiler 14 and pipe l17 into the generatin chamber, as already described.. At t e same time the water in the water jacket space 54 becomes heated and' asses by ipe 55 into the water space in oiler 56, tlius continuing the supply of hot water therein and assisting the exhaust gases in generating steam in theboiler 56.

In using charcoalas a fuel for the production of combustible gas no difficulty 1s experienced bythe formation of cinders or clinkers in the generatin chamber.4 Brid g or running together o the fuel, thus a ecting the draft and su ply of gaseous roducts, a trouble common y experienced w en coke or coal is'usedis erfectly eliminated by the use of charcoal? Gummy or tarry substances in the gas produced from mineral substances, such as coke, coal, or mineral o ils, are avoided by using charcoal as the gas and power can be produced very eco- Charcoal being very light can a o be readily and cheaply` nomically by m process.

transported over mountainous countriesor other places and thus becomes a very desirable fuel from which ower can be obtained. Charcoal being free rom sulfur-,and other substances which make coal, coke or oils ob 4 jectionable makes it a very cheap and efficient source of power.

In the carrying outof my process the re' tracting of the piston of the engine creates in the producer chamber a partial vacuum due to suction by the movement of the piston in the cylinder. y This suction draws out a portion of the gases occluded in the porous charcoal, which withdrawn gas is replaced by Vincoming air and steam, thus effecting a more intimate and thorough contact of the air and steam with the charcoal and producing a richer gas than would beeffected by forcing thc steam and air through the charcoal without first having subjected thc fuel to the vacuum forming action. .If the steam and air were forced through the fuel without action of the suction effect, the pores of the charcoal would be filled with gas which would not be replaced by the steam and air by the suction of the e `charcoal prevents any permits a plentiful sup .i through, and 'the steam and air 1ty. Furthermore y the reciprocation of the engine pistonthe suction is effected in a series of im ulses, the result of which is to lift up the ight charcoal with each retraction 'of the piston after which it isdropped. This alternate lifting andA droppin packing e ect and y of a1r and steam ins iration: Charing light can be lifte in this Amanner e, but it is not light enough to be drawn ike dust out of the producer chamber. Besides owing' to its porosit charcoal can absorb a vast amount more o the air and steam than anyotherfuel, and when it is drop ed it will not pack. Another advantage o its use is' due to its even texture and lack of resinous, tarry sulfurous or other impure ingredients. Therefore e' drawn.' in at eac coal owing to the several features noted, the ab sence of bridging, due to running tol ether, or the formation of cinders which ridge over the chamber and close the passage for air and steam, the suction effect which withdraws the larger part of gas absorbed in the' pores, thus rmpitting each intake of air and steam to the pores, and the alternatelifting and dro ping of the charcoal with each impulse of t e engine piston, the applicant is enabled to roduce in a simple manner from a cheap uel a combustible gas always uniform in composition and hence requiring no regulation of the volume of` air mixed with it for exploding in the engine. Then as charcoal does not bridge over or make clinkers in the producer it requires no operator expert for the purpose for running the aplaratus, such as is required when other fue s are used to produce gas at all regular. Stoppage of the running of the apparatus for the urpose of breaking up clinkerous masses `in t e chamber is also avoided, and an unskilled operator may run the apparatus day after da without furtherattention than to supply uel to the producer.

the useof my process'all rades of fincness in charcoal may be use and I have been enabled to produce a uniform com osition of good combustible gas from the s ack or waste residue found in charcoal kilns and heretofore thrown away. In the manufacture of charcoal there collects in the bottom of the kiln very fine particles or Waste that hasbeen deemed of no value and has been thrown away. By the use of my process this waste material can be used to produce a quality of gas with as much uniformity of composition and as cheaply as with the use of the .lclfhthe merchantable product of the charcoal For the recess of producing gas from charcoal an for the process of produc gas from the waste products of the charco kiln andconverting the same into power I am about. to file other applications `for Patent.' l

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pa ent is ,e

1. The process consist' in passing air and steam through burninlglfu l, washing the resulting gaseous products, air with said products, exploding the mixture in yan engine, utilizing the heat of such explosion and the heat derived from the gaseous products 'prior to their washin `for generatin steam used with the air in urning the 4fue 'sion for drawing the steam and air through the fuel.

2. The processconsisting in passing air and steam upwardly through burning fuel, passing the resulting gaseous products through water, mixin air with .the washed lproducts exploding t e mixture in an engine, utilizing the heat of such explosion and the heat derived from the gaseous products prior to their passing through water for generating the steam so used, and utilizing the power of such explosion for drawing .the steam and air through the fuel.

3. The process consisting in passing air and steam through burning fuel, washin and mixing air with the said products, ex loding and utilizing power derived from such explo-` themixt-ure-in an engine, utilizing t e heat V of such explosion and the heat derived from the gaseous products prior to their Washing for generating the steam so used.,l and utilizing the power of such explosion for drawing the air and steam through the fuel.

4. The process consisting in drawing air and steam ,by suction upwardly through burning fuel in a series of impulses, washing and scrubbing the resulting gaseous products, mixing air with said products, exploding the mixture, and utilizing the heat of such explosion and the heat derived from the gaseous products prior to their washing fo generating the steam so used.

5. The process consisting in passing air and steam upwardly through burning fuelin a series of impulses, washing and scrubbing the resulting gaseous products, mixing air with the washed and scrubbed products,ex ploding the mixture, utilizing thc-heat of such explosion and the heat derived from the gaseous products prior to their Washing for generating the Steamso used, and utilizing the power of such ex losion for drawing the steam and air throng the burning fuel.

890,475- K Y p 'I -5 '6, Tlievprooess consistin'ginforoing air and In testimony whereof I have signed my steam 'through` burning fuel, 'Washing the re;A neme to this 'specification in presence of two 10 su-ltfilng gaseousi products, eplodinlglg aid subscribing witnesses.v Y, pro ucts'to pro uce ower,ut' zingt e eat v 5 of the exploded `gasleous products and the GEORGE, J' WEBER' heat derived from the gaseous products, prior Witnesses: l -to` their` washing, for. eneratmg the steam y WARREN D. HoUsE, used-for producing sai gaseous' products. HENRY F.` Roem' 

